Finding joy within life's journeys

Diatribe Time: How Do I Really Feel. . . .

Life has many moving parts and it is our job to navigate each and every one of them. Even when the journey is challenging, we really have no option.

Those of you that know me well, know that I use writing as a means of working out all that goes on in my brain. It is what I do. If I am not writing, it usually means something is seriously wrong; only rarely does a busy schedule keep me from what I love second only after mothering. This is one of those times that I am working towards figuring out what I really think, so here it goes. . . . So here is the quiet voice that sometimes goes unspoken. . . .

Loving life comes naturally to me. I love animal-kind, the earth, and all that surrounds our world. Yet I struggle on a very deep level; I struggle because so many people make choices to live their lives in ways that I find questionable. And while I am not perfect; I openly grapple and when I do get thoughtless, I have my sons who remind me to follow by beliefs.

The reality is that life is a finite amount of time. Death is a given; we will all die at the end our journeys. My hope is that at the end of my journey I will have made a difference for good. With every ounce of my being, I pray that my words are always thoughtful, that my actions exhibit kindness for the world I live, and that I live a life with integrity. I truly want to be the best human being I can be. And whether I am alive or not, my hope is that my life has touched people and made a difference.

As someone who lives consciously that means I have to consider the world around me and the ramifications of my actions. While there are many non-negotiable in my book, I also realize that I have a lot to learn and I can always be better. I also believe that we are all a work in progress; it takes time to change.

Now to share how I really feel:

When you shop for anything consider those that have done the work to bring the product to you. Are they treated fairly? Buying fair-trade makes sense; We should all do our best to shop at stores that pay their staff living wages. I do realize this isn’t always easy or economical, yet shouldn’t human beings be safe both physically and emotionally. Possible offenders of not treating the workers fairly include Walmart, world-wide sweatshops, the chocolate industry-to name a few. Know as much as you can about the products you purchase; know that child slave labor is still alive today.

We aren’t doing our best to create an accessible world. We can have the best programs, but if our communities are not made in a way that is as accessible as can be that it doesn’t matter what we service or product we are offering. And as consumers, it is important for us to make it not-optional that all of us are responsible for making our environments work for as many as possible. One challenging example is clothing stores: Wheelchairs need to be able to me freely through the store. Another example is to provide ASL interpreters when requested for community events; community events should be opened to all. We need to create better mechanisms to be more inclusive to meet the needs of as many people as possible.

All human beings should have been born to equality. And it is human beings that are not always operating with that premise. How sad! And yes, it frustrates me and even angers me too. Marriage equality for all should be a given. In terms of religious choices, I respect nearly all religions, but they need to be kept within their houses of prayer. While some of our teachings do not accept homosexuality, our country should not be guided by religious principles. The Boy Scouts should be accepting leaders that are good human beings; the leaders should not be chosen by their gender preferences. I love that so many of my Eagle Scout friends have made the choices that they have made; some are trying to change things from within and some have reversed their affiliation with the Boy Scouts. Making conscious choices is a good thing.

Our carbon footprints matters. Why are we so wasteful? I love how people say they recycle, but do they not realize that recycling takes energy. We are literally wasting paper reams every day. We are not considering all of the issues of product packaging and how the products come to us. How far do the products have to travel to make it to us? Can we go to the store once instead of going 10 times over the course of the week. Can we walk or bike to the places we need to get to. We really can make a difference by learning about how our carbon footprint impacts the world around us.

I love Israel; I do not like her government. I despise when people think I hate Israel because I don’t like her actions. Wrong. I have a right to speak my mind and to make conscious choices in how I live with the knowledge I learn. I also have to hear what other sides of the story are saying. Human beings matter and I have the responsibility to care about all humans. Darfur, Bangladesh, China – I need to be caring about all human beings; if I know governments are making poor choices, I need to use my voice in order to make a difference for good. This is not just about Israel, this is about taking care of and sometimes supporting those who’s voices aren’t being heard.

If you tell a story long enough, it becomes your truth (even if it is a lie). The question we all need to ask ourselves is whether or not the story we are telling is in fact the truth. I have watched how stories and lies have been woven to become truths; and for the first time in my life I am watching people’s positive reputations become altered because of partial stories being told for the purpose of destruction. I wish some of the adults I knew would get out the high school mentality and stop talking about people.

I am trying to walk gently as I share how I feel. We are all a work in progress, but I wish that more people cared a little more than they already do. The good news is that many people are doing amazing work to make our world a better place.

Silence speaks words; so don’t sit in silence. While we have to navigate the many moving parts of our lives, don’t forget about that we are responsible for making our world what it is. . Conscious living is a practice; it takes time to develop. Being thoughtful in our how we walk in the world, our consumption choices and in our activism will ultimately lead to a better world.

May we all choose to live consciously and consider the world that we live in with each and every step we take.

2 Responses

Your words are wise. I also feel disappointed knowing that so many of us make careless choices without considering the impact of our actions on others an on our planet. However, every time I find words like yours, and people that care, I regain hope and optimism,

Thank you for your kind words. What I keep reminding myself is that every step we take has the possibility of making a difference for good. And hopefully at some point down the line a spark that touched us will also touch someone else.